Australian High Commission
Colombo
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19 April 2011
Australian Direct Aid Program grants Rs 9.8 million for grassroots projects island wide
The Acting Australian High Commissioner Ms Sophia McIntyre, handed over approximately Rs 9.8 million in grants to eight community based organisations for small scale development projects in Sri Lanka on 19 April 2011. The grants were made from the Australian government’s Direct Aid Program, which is available for not-for-profit basis community development activities.
Awarding the grants, Ms McIntyre said ‘The Direct Aid Program assists local organisations seeking to reduce poverty and support sustainable development in their communities. Via this program, the High Commission supports organisations across Sri Lanka.’
Organisations which received funding via the Direct Aid Program on 19 April were: Community Development Services in Kurunegala, to provide training for aspirant migrant workers; Equality based Community Support and Training in Galle, to build inclusive villages to assist the disabled community; Wilgamuwa Women’s Development Association in Matale, for an income generation project; Sri Lanka Council for Visually Handicapped Graduates in Moratuwa, for the development of digital audio books; Child Vision/Forum Against Gender Based Violence in Puttalam, for Capacity Building to support women, children and the disabled; Society for People Centred Development in Colombo, for the eradication of squalid conditions of basic amenities in underserved settlements; Association for War Affected Widows in Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and Batticaloa, to upgrade sanitation facilities for disabled persons; and James Cook University/Jaffna University, for the Delivery of Block Mode Medical Immunobiology Course for third year medical faculty students.
The Direct Aid Program projects encourage community participation in the identification, design and implementation of projects. The program aims to support women, children, elderly, disabled and the rural poor.